It’s always a bit of a strange mood in camp on the eve of our last day. We decide to have one last nostalgic pasta and sauce dinner at the tent rather than eat out we reminisce on our amazing adventure over a bottle of wine.

All our memories and all the low and high points we have had, we realise be most easily and simply classified as “pre Stelvio” and “post Stelvio”. We both agree unequivocally that that was “the day” of the whole trip …just the most extraordinary achievement amongst, I have to say, quite a few  others that we managed.

Like I say it’s a bit of a funny mood, not sad or sombre but definitely nudging towards “melancholic” …tomorrow is the last day.

We do still have we think about 60 miles to go though and we are not expecting an easy ride….it will definitely be hot, we don’t expect the roads or traffic to magically  transform into something more lovely and cycling in Athens….well we absolutely expect that to be a whole different kettle of fish…we haven’t really done a “city” since Lille.

We pack up the tent (for the final time!!) and head as per our now norm of around 730. Within a few miles we cross the Korinth Canal although we don’t linger because the rusty looking bridges we use is quite frankly terrifying (behind the grin I am screaming inside!)

The scenery today is again somewhat “mixed”….it’s not a great surprise given where we are but it does veer between spectacularly pretty and monstrously ugly with, regrettably, the latter dominating our day.

We have only been cycling in Greece for a couple of days but already we have had several run ins with dogs….I want to say “wild dogs” but let’s just go with feral, mangy, almost certainly hungry and most definitely very very very angry with us dogs. They all want to chase us and not in the cute and cuddly “chase the stick and bring it back to me” way….it’s in the “I will 100% take a chunk out of you given half a chance” way. At one point we approach a roundabout where we can see five of them prowling around the centre of the roundabout and as soon as they can see the whites of our eyes they come hurtling after us barking and snarling at our back wheels. Fortunately cycling 1200 miles has put a bit of zip in our legs so we clear them pretty easily save for one other occasion when one very angry and persistent little “b” chased us for nigh on half a mile before we were able to confidently declare our very relieved victory.

As we approach Athens from the West the Garmin repeatedly wants us to turn North and take a longer, hillier route even though we can clearly see the coast below, round which we will surely reach our end destination. We decide we know best though and then three miles later, yep you guessed it, we realise that the road we are on turns into a motorway and so we have to take the longer, hillier way after all.

The next 10 or so miles are easily the worst bit of road we have seen all trip. It’s potholed and filthy with mounds of rubbish and detritus everywhere, it is smelly and noisy with huge lorries chuntering past us way too close and leaving absolutely no room at all, there is road kill seemingly everywhere and it is by now, hotter than the centre of the sun. To top it all we end up adding 10 miles and a really unpleasant and unexpected climb to our day and I pick up only the second puncture of the whole trip. When we finally round the last bit of the hills and get our first glimpse of Athens we are both mighty relieved.

The final 7 or 8 miles are thankfully mostly down but the traffic is now already heavy, and as we suspected, it turns out that cycling in Athens is a whole achievement on its own and one which requires a good deal of concentration, bravery blind faith and commitment!

In typical Nick fashion, and unbeknownst to Marc, the place I have decided is the only one in Athens that is fitting to end such an amazing adventure is of course up a hill or in this case half way up a hill to the viewing point on Lycabettus Hill. It’s a huge lump of rock in the middle of Athens that gives you a fantastic view across the whole city and so whilst I do manage to convince Marc that it’s the only “proper” place to end, it’s one of, if not the steepest climbs of the whole trip.

We do, of course because we are TMAAT, eventually drag ourselves  up it and we reward ourselves with champagne, a little tear and the most spectacular back drop to our celebrations.

We have done it!!! Marc and I have cycled to this exact point from my front door….1200 miles, 10 countries and 3 different time zones. We have climbed more feet than I care to think about, set a new record for consecutive days of pasta sauce dinner, we have conquered the Alps, and not by taking the easy route either, and we of course have smashed the amazing Stelvio Pass.

We both recognise we have genuinely achieved something truly amazing this time….and it feels pretty good I have to say.

Then, as is usual, in the blink of an eye it’s all over. We linger a bit to have lunch and a drink trying to eke our much of the experience as w can but that moment of euphoria is over all too soon. The next mission is to find our hotel, get clean and wait for Jo and Gerry to arrive so we can spend the next few days together in Athens.

Our adventure then is over.

Thank you so much to all of you that have donated, supported us and followed us along the way. This has been a tough one and it really has meant so much to us to know you are there and cheering us on…you have also raised nearly £4500 and quite frankly you are all amazing…thank you so much.

A special mention and thank you to Emma Welch whose single minded determination and hard work have added a massive £470 to our fund raising.

Thank you also to all the fellow bike packers and other travellers we met on the way for their kindness and interest and support.

Thank you to all our friends and family who have supported, coached and cajoled along the way and a very special mention to my brother Neil who travelled down from York for the day (sleeping in his car) just to send us off at Trafalgar Square, an act of kindness which gave us both such a huge lift.

Thank you also to Victoria and all at Breast Cancer UK who are not only doing such amazing work to support prevention but have also energetically and proactively supported us all the way and helped us reach and then smash our fund raising goal.

Special mention of course to our “third man” Dan and his phenomenal rowing part of our challenge, many miles of which are still waiting for him when he gets back from his 2 weeks of holiday (just saying!).

A huge special thank you to Jo and Gerry for their unconditional love and support and enabling all of this to happen by saying yes when we say “ I was thinking about going on a bike ride for 2 and a bit weeks”

Finally thank you to Marc, my oldest and bestest friend and the only person I could or would ever be able to share these amazing adventures with ….thanks mate, you really have made this the greatest one yet and guess what…….we cycled here!!!